


The Art Of Negotiation

by soft_but_gremlin



Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Master and Apprentice - Claudia Gray
Genre: Gen, Gun Violence, Hostage Situations, Missions Gone Wrong, Violence, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27045670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soft_but_gremlin/pseuds/soft_but_gremlin
Summary: Rael would doanythingto keep his Padawan-nephew safe.(Whumptober day 16: shoot the hostage/forced to beg)
Relationships: Rael Averross & Feemor
Series: Whumptober 2020 [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946629
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	The Art Of Negotiation

Frankly, Rael didn’t know how he kept ending up in these situations.

He and Feemor were being held at blasterpoint. Master Dooku and Qui-Gon were, theoretically, at the terminal room finding the evidence of the conspiracy against the Queen.

Rael and Feemor weren’t supposed to have been a distraction, but needs must and all that.

“You Jedi have been a thorn in my side for too long,” the regent was saying. “And I am going to make your last moments  _ very  _ painful.”

Rael knew politicians well enough to know when one wasn’t making empty threats. This one was  _ deadly _ serious.

Feemor was projecting fear into the Force, but Rael had to give him credit: his face didn’t show nearly as much. He’d been listening when Master Dooku gave him lessons about schooling his emotions in tense situations.

Rael would absolutely kill for his Padawan-nephew, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to take on all of them and still protect Feemor. This was something that he’d have to try and talk his way out of. And if he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of both their deaths, well, he’d at least save the kid.

“You don’t want to kill us,” Rael said, lacing the words with a Force-Suggestion. He really hoped Qui-Gon could sense how much his young Padawan was panicking.

“Oh, I very much do,” the regent said. “As slowly and painfully as possible.”

“A Jedi’s no good to you dead,” Rael said. “But we can be very good negotiating tools. Maybe we can work something out.”

The regent seemed to think about it for a moment, pacing a bit, waving his blaster around. “Hmm,” he said. “You make a point, Jedi.”

Then he shot Rael.

Feemor screamed and Rael gave an agonized cry as he clutched his shoulder. It wasn’t a kill shot, but  _ kriff _ did it hurt. The burning was almost too intense to think, and it took a moment before he remembered how to diffuse pain into the Force.

“Did you  _ really  _ think your little Jedi tricks would work on me?” the regent said. “Pathetic.”

Rael hissed out another pained breath, and said, “Fine. Do whatever you want with me, but spare the kid. He’s not part of this.”

“You think I’d grant a  _ Jedi’s  _ last request?”

“No, but I’d hope even a sack of shit like you would spare an innocent.”

The fist to his face only caught him by surprise because it happened immediately after his comment. Seemed the regent was done posturing.

Something cracked as Rael’s head hit the duracrete floor. He lost his focus for a moment, and the pain in his shoulder came flooding back. It took a couple of pained gasps before he could get himself under control again. It would have been easier if Feemor’s terror wasn’t flooding the Force, making it hard to focus.

“The child will not be spared,” the regent said. “Best not to have any witnesses, especially ones that will grow up to be  _ Jedi.  _ But I am not a  _ heartless  _ person. He is, after all, an innocent.”

The regent stepped hard on Rael’s blaster wound, and Rael couldn’t help but cry out.

“So I am going to kill you, his Master, very slowly while he watches, but because I am a  _ merciful  _ man, I will kill your apprentice quickly.”

“Please—” Rael said, choking on a whimper as the regent dug his heel in. “ _ Please _ ! Spare him!”

The regent smiled cruelly. “I don’t know, Jedi,” he said. “But, hey, I heard Jedi were  _ great  _ tools for negotiation! So why don’t you try and  _ convince  _ me your little apprentice should stay alive? Come on, Jedi! Negotiate! Beg! You have until you die to change my mind!”

Rael glanced over at Feemor, who was being held back by two guards, a blaster pressed to his temple, terrified tears tracking down his cheeks. Rael prayed that Master Dooku and Qui-Gon were on their way, but if they weren’t…

Well, he wasn’t Master Negotiator Dooku’s former Padawan for nothing.


End file.
